Former President Sirisena in thrust to revive UPFA

The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) met last week under SLFP leader Maithripala Sirisena to discuss plans to revitalize itself and upgrade its manifesto to suit the times.

Conducted via zoom, the meeting was attended by Mahajana Eksath Peramuna leader and Minister of Education Dinesh Gunawardena, Sri Lanka Mahajana Paksha leader MP Asanka Navaratne and other party leaders, party sources said.

“It is time that UPFA stood up again,” former President Sirisena said. “We must strengthen UPFA so that many like-minded parties and groups could join under a single banner.”

“Deputy Chairman of the SLPP Thilanga Sumathipala has moved a motion that we should prepare a new manifesto containing policies covering social, cultural and economic matters to rebuild the nation. We have that proposal as a base and it has been approved by all members of the SLFP Executive Committee. We would obtain proposals from other parties in the coming two weeks,” Sirisena said.

Lengthy discussions were held on the preparation of a plan of action for the UPFA. These centered on reviving the UPFA under the betel leaf symbol which Sirisena said had the trust of people.

MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena spoke of the need to accommodate proposals of other political parties and to invite them all for future discussions to decide the future course of the UPFA.

A moment of silence was observed in memory of CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman, Mangala Samaraweera and Desha Vimukthi Janatha Party’s P.M. Podi Appuhamy.

SLFP Senior Deputy Chairman Professor Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa said the SLFP Central Committee had recently decided on reactivating the UPFA. The alliance will be formed with all progressive political elements including leftist, patriotic, and nationalist political parties as well as parties unrepresented in Parliament.

Thilanga Sumathipala said that the entire political paradigm has been changed by the effects of COVID-19 pandemic.

“There’s a need to think beyond the policies that had been upheld and accepted as the best prior to the pandemic. Covid has outdated these. We must build a formidable political force on the basis of people-friendly political policies and should accommodate friendly parties to form a grand alliance. We must uphold policies that could build our nation. It is the UPFA that could accommodate all forces,” he said.

He added that the UPFA that came to being in 2004 by joining forces of all progressive and leftist parties under the leadership of the SLFP had a record of winning two presidential elections, two general elections and winning seven provincial councils in three elections. In the 2015 general election the UPFA won 95 parliamentary seats.